In wake of the Orlando shooting on June 11, it is important to take note that this is not the first act of gun violence in our country. According to a 2016 study by the FBI, it was concluded that the United States is home to nearly a third of the world’s mass shootings. This is not something to be proud of. Yes, our nation’s second amendment states we all have “the right to bear arms," but this is taking it to a whole new level. Today we look back on five shootings that made national and international headlines that should be teaching us lessons about what not to do.

1. Columbine High School

On April 20, 1999 everything changed in this small Colorado town when Columbine seniors Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold entered the building with multiple different weapons. Harris and Klebold started in the cafeteria, then moved to the library and ended the attacks approximately 40 minutes later by taking their own lives. The attacks killed 15 and left 24 injured.

2. Virginia Tech

The shooting at Virginia Tech made headlines in April of 2007 when senior English major, Seung-Hui Cho, opened fire on campus. Cho started in dorms before moving into an engineering building. Students barricaded the doors to block his entry. The attacks ended when Cho took his own life. A vigil was held on April 17, 2007 in honor of the 33 killed and the 23 injured.

3. Aurora, Colorado

In July 2012, a fun night at the movies turned into a night of terror. James Eagan Holmes opened fire on a theater of 400 during a midnight showing of "The Dark Knight Rises." The shooting began about 30 minutes into the movie. Holmes entered the theater with tear gas grenades and numerous other weapons. During the attack he killed 12 and injured 70 others. He was apprehended by police and is currently serving a life sentence.

4. Sandy Hook Elementary School

The nation was faced with another mass shooting in December 2012. After killing his mother and taking weapons from her home, Adam Peter Lanza began an attack on Sandy Hook Elementary students and faculty. During the course of the attack Lanza killed 27 and injured one. The shooting ended after Lanza took his own life.

5. Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church

Just last summer another mass shooting took place in Charleston, South Carolina. Dylann Roof had come to the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church and joined the prayer group that was taking place. Minutes later, he opened fire. Over the course of the attack, he ended up killing nine and injuring one. Roof's trial is pending and a jury selection will begin in January 2017.

These are just a few of the many shootings that have rocked our nation over the last 17 years. They have taught us that bullying should not be taken lightly, mental illness should be taken seriously and that tolerance is everything. We as a nation need to start making some deliberate changes, or we will have to change the Pledge of Allegiance to, "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of Firearms."